Metal harmonica.



c. WEISS, F. Bfi KER & M. HEUSGHKEL.

METAL HARMONICA.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12, 1913.

1,094,180, Patented Apr. 21, 19M

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WlT/VEJSfS, (942M 1554M WW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN WEISS, 0F NUREMBERG, FERDINAND B'U'RKER, OF TROSSINGEN, WUR-T- TEMBERG, AND MAX HEUSCHKEL, OF STUTTGART, GERMANY, ASSIGNORS TO THE FIRM OF Wfi'RTTEMBERGISCI-IE HARMONIKAFABRIK CH. WEISS, OF T'ROSSINGEN,

GERMANY.

METAL HARMONICA.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHRISTIAN WEISS, FERDINAND Bfi'RKER, and MAX HEUsoHKEL, residing at Nuremberg, Germany, Trossingen, Wurttemberg, Germany, and Stuttgart, Germany, respectively, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Metal Harmonicas, of which the following is a specification.

The present application relates to a mouth-harmonica. The cellular body thereof is manufactured from a casting, and the two reed plates are superposed loosely thereupon and connected with the same by means of a U-shaped frame consisting of bent sheet metal which incloses all members at the rear edge and at the lateral edges, in connection with which the parts, together with the covers, are held together by means of two screws.

The mouth-harmonica is shown in the drawing in Figures 1 to 3, in which Fig. 1 shows the mouth-harmonica with its parts separated; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal crosssectional view of the mouth-harmonica; Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the mouth-harmonica.

The cellular body a is cast as thin as possible and from a metallic composition which is light but not too soft. The surfaces of the body are perfectly flat without any elevation or rojection, and any appreciable accumulatlon of material is avoided as much as possible by means of recesses I). These recesses 12 are covered by the reed plates which are superposed upon the cellular body a and the partitions of the cellular body a form sounding-boxes with the reed plates 0. In order to press the reed plates 0 as tight as possible upon the bearing surfaces and to Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 13, 1913.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

Serial No. 741,651.

prevent the escape of the blown-in air from between the reed plates 0 and the cellular body a, a bent frame f constructed from sheet metal is slid over the cellular body from the back, the projecting portions of which overlap also the reed plates.

The covers 9 are placed upon the reed plates and the assembled parts are fastened together, in known manner, by means of screws passing through the covers, the reed plates and the cellular body.

The individual parts of the mouth-harmonica may be manufactured in great quantities by means of suitable machines, and no subsequent finishing off of any kind is required. Their assemblage into the finished article may be effected readily, a fact which is of the greatest importance when the low cost of manufacture is taken into consideration.

Of course, a single cellular body may be substituted in place of the illustrated double cellular body. The rear wall may be omitted from the cellular body inasmuch as a back is formed by the metallic bent frame.

The manner of constructing the mouthharmonica described renders 1t possible to take the device apart and to exchange the reed plates, if necessary, or to replace the sam with new reed plates of varying pitch, so that differently tuned reed plates may be utilized in connection with a single cellular body. Moreover, in consequence of the easy manner in which the harmonica may be taken apart, every player is enabled to clean the different parts of the harmonica from time to time, which fact is of quite a considerable importance from a sanitary viewpoint and for the preservation of the instrument, as well as with respect to the production of a clear, loud sound. This latter characteristic is moreover aided by the fact that the metallic body, in consequence of its thin partitions, yields a Very loud sound, and that the same does not swell up in consequenc of the moisture entering with the blown in air, and its form is consequently not changed as is the case with wooden cellular bodies.

lVhat we claim is:

In a mouth-harmonica, in combination, a cast metal cellular body, reed plates super posed thereupon, and a U-shaped frame of metal embracing said members and engaging the back and lateral edges thereof to re- 15 tain said reed plates in position.

In testimony whereof we afliX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTIAN wniss. FERDINAND BURKER. MAX I-IEUSCI-IKEL. lVitnesses as to Christian lVeiss and Ferdinand Biirker:

ADOLF LnBBERs, FRIDA KLAIBERS. lVitnesses as to Max Heuschkcl:

EDWARD WVERZINGER, ROBERT TARON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

